On January 19, The Catholic University of America's Campus Ministry continued their MLK Teach-In 2023 events with D. Michael Lyles '94, City Attorney, Annapolis, Maryland and Lecturer, Catholic Law. Lyles' talk, MLK and Economic Justice, reviewed the speeches and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lyles' approach to the event was to hold a discussion with those in attendance.
The discussion focused on changes in Dr. King's speeches and what could be accomplished from 1963 to 1968. Lyles noted that Dr. King saw poverty and economic deprivation as the biggest civil rights issue affecting America. The group discussed how the Vietnam War weighed down the progress in Civil Rights achieved during the 50's and early 60's. During the discussion, participants felt Dr. King's speeches displayed that he thought a values or a culture revolution was needed. The discussion also looked at why Dr. King thought that the three villains needing to be dealt with were Racism, Militarism, and Economic Poverty. In conclusion, the participants delved into whether we as a country have made any progress or are we still battling with the same issues.
Following the event Lyles remained after to talk individually with attendees. To learn more about the MLK Teach-in 2023, click here.
Below is a list of recordings and books, which D. Michael Lyles referenced during the discussion:
- MLK Cash a Check Speech (August 25, 1963) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs
- MLK on Meet the Press (August 25, 1963) https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=Martin+Luther+King+on+Meet+the+Press&type=E211US685G0#id=38&vid=8d97e99d89eaa043dd9d89e8c01b4082&action=view
- MLK: The Other America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOWDtDUKz-U
- MLK Talks 'New Phase' Of Civil Rights Struggle, 11 Months Before His Assassination | NBC News (1967) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xsbt3a7K-8
- The Economic Problem, Harry Belafonte Show (February 1968) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmauhsmcY2c
- MLK Talks Vietnam and Economic Issues (March 1968) - https://www.google.com/search?q=MLK+1968+economic+speech+video&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS879US879&ei=xwyvY6X_H_ur5NoPkrmE-As&ved=0ahUKEwjl_v3l3KH8AhX7FVkFHZIcAb8Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=MLK+1968+economic+speech+video&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKABOgoIABBHENYEELADOgUIIRCrAkoECEEYAEoECEYYAFD9BViSDGC5D2gBcAB4AIABaIgB5gOSAQM1LjGYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:bd4a8b20,vid:AaqilKOW324
- MLK: Beyond Vietnam - A Time to Break Silence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJhgXKGldUk
Books mentioned or relied upon:
- A Bright Shining Lie – John Paul Vann
- Bearing the Cross – David Garrow
- Why We Can’t Wait - Dr. King
- Parting the Waters - Taylor Branch
- A Testament of Hope – Dr. King’s Speeches/remarks
- Martin Luther King, Jr, To the Mountaintop and Autobiography – Wm Roger Witherspoon
- Freedom is Not Enough – James T. Patterson